Jellyfish Crisps

(Telegraph) Jellyfish crisps: the ready-salted treat making waves in the snacking world 

It is the ultimate ready-salted crisp, even if it does come with a slight sting in the tail.

Scientists have invented jellyfish crisps, which they claim could provide a healthier alternative to deep fried varieties.

Jellyfish is already eaten as a delicacy in Asian countries, but currently the drying technique takes at least a month and leaves a gristly, stringy substance that has never caught on in the West.

Now researchers in Denmark have discovered that by soaking jellyfish in alcohol and allowing it to evaporate, the creatures turn into paper-thin, crunchy discs which are similar in texture to a traditional potato crisp.

Gastrophysicist Mie Thorborg Pedersen of the University of Southern Denmark, said the crisps could be made in huge quantities in just a couple of days.

“Actually there is nothing new in eating jellyfish,” said Miss Thorborg Pedersen. “It’s an old tradition dating back more than a thousand years in Asia. Jellyfish are a delicacy believe it or not.

“I researched how turn slimy jellyfish into a crispy jellyfish chip.

“Gels respond differently when put in different solutions. In alcohol some gels simply collapse, and that is exactly what we see a jellyfish doing. As the jellyfish collapses, the water is extracted from it and its volume is reduced.

“After we let it evaporate a crispy jellyfish chip emerged, which we can eat.”

Perhaps surprisingly, the desiccated jellyfish do not have much taste, but scientists believe that they could be flavoured using different kinds of alcohol.

(Click here to read more)

Comments are closed.